Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the demise of Bilquis Bano Edhi, Pakistan’s renowned activist and philanthropist, and conveyed his sincere condolences on Saturday. Remembering her contribution to the global society, PM Modi said that people in India too remember her fondly.
“My sincere condolences on the passing of Bilquis Edhi. Her lifelong dedication to humanitarian work touched the lives of people across the globe. People in India, too, remember her fondly. May her soul rest in peace,” he wrote in a tweet.
Bilquis Edhi, the wife of Pakistan’s renowned and revered humanitarian and philanthropist late Abdul Sattar Edhi, passed away at a private hospital on Friday, according to a family member. She was 74. Bilquis worked shoulder to shoulder with her husband in establishing the Abdul Sattar Edhi Foundation, a welfare organisation that gained worldwide fame for its humanitarian work in many areas.
After the death of her husband in July 2016, Bilquis carried on the enormous work of the foundation with her son Faisal Edhi, who confirmed her passing away to the media. He said his mother was admitted to the hospital after her blood pressure suddenly dropped earlier this week.
Faisal said Bilquis suffered complications in hospital as she had congestive heart failure and had already undergone bypass procedure twice. He said the funeral of his mother would be announced shortly.
According to an Edhi Foundation spokesperson, Bilquis was ill for the last one month. Pakistan President Arif Alvi expressed his sadness over the passing of Bilquis.
“She had always been shoulder to shoulder with Abdul Sattar Edhi in his philanthropic efforts and continued his work even after his death. May Allah bless the departed soul,” tweeted the President House. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed Bilquis’ death “a huge loss for the nation.
“An incredible woman in her own right, she stood by Edhi sahab like a rock and together they set up an example of human compassion and ran one of the largest philanthropic organisations of the world. May her soul rest in peace!” the prime minister said in a tweet. “Deeply saddened on hearing of the passing of Mohtarma Bilquis Edhi. Her quiet, selfless work for the poor, the homeless, especially the orphans & abandoned children, made her a role model and a symbol of hope. My prayers & condolences go to her family,” ex-prime minister Imran Khan tweeted.
Bilquis, who spent more than six decades of her life serving humanity, was respected for starting a programme of placing jhoolas’ (cradles) at Edhi homes and centres across the country where unwanted babies could be left by their mothers or families, instead of abandoning them anywhere. Dubbed Mother of Pakistan’, she was awarded various national and foreign awards, including the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, the Lenin Peace Prize, Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice (2015), and the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service, which she received along with her husband in 1986.
Last year, she was also named the Person of the Decade’, along with UN rapporteur on human rights Prof. Yanghee Lee and US ethicist Stephen Soldz by an international organisation.
(With PTI inputs)
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